Upper West Teachers Reject Verbal Promises, Demand Proof of Pay

Teachers across Ghana's Upper West Region have drawn a firm line, refusing to abandon their strike until the government provides documented proof of settled financial obligations. At a press conference in Wa, the combined leadership of GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG-Upper West made clear that spoken assurances and past delays would no longer substitute for concrete evidence. Regional Secretary Ransford Owusu-Adjei stated the unresolved issues blocking resolution are threefold: delayed implementation of their expired Collective Agreement, promoted teachers remaining on unchanged pay scales without accrued arrears, and failure to deliver the promised 20 per cent deprived-area allowance. He warned that promotions lacking matching salary adjustments hold no real value for educators. 'A promotion without corresponding financial implementation is incomplete,' Owusu-Adjei declared. 'Teachers have earned these advancements and assumed new responsibilities. We cannot entertain further promises about processed payments when none have materialized.' The unions insist all locally valid documentation must surface before industrial action ceases.